February 2nd
by PencilGirl92
Summary: Between a speech, a dinner, and a ball, this is one exhausting day for the princess of Sarasaland. …and then she has to do it again… and again… and again. Will the time loop ever stop? Or is Daisy stuck in the worst day of her life?
1. The First Day

The First Day

February 2nd came with its usual chill in the air. The sand-brown stones of the castle were covered with a few small but intricate webs of frost. And the roof's shingles were more white than brown. Within the castle, the staff was abuzz with various chores in preparation of the afternoon's events. And at the highest room, a relentless, pounding knock came—once, twice, thrice… and more. "Princess! Princess Daisy, you must wake at once!"

Daisy groaned. Mornings were bad enough without Sarsworth banging on the door. "I'm up!" she shouted back.

"Your speech is at noon. Please tell me you've practiced!"

Daisy groaned again. She hadn't. But what was so wrong with reading from the paper? It was a stupid speech anyway. It was a stupid party. If she had any say in it, she wouldn't have it. But no. Not only did she have to throw a ball, she had to talk to everyone who showed up about what was ahead for the kingdom of Sarasaland.

She'd rather be at a ball in the Mushroom Kingdom. Despite her "pretty in pink" best friend and her infuriating boyfriend, at least she had Luigi to dance with. But they were all coming to this ball, too, so she'd have to settle. Though she wasn't certain there'd be much time for dancing.

She rolled herself out of bed and looked at the clock. It was nearing 8:30. She stared for a few minutes at the dress Sarsworth had laid out for her. He had had it made for the occasion, and though he was mindful to use her preferred colors, that didn't stop him from ordering ribbons and frills that Daisy found both unnecessary and unflattering.

She lamented for the hundredth time in her life how that, for a princess, she really had little say in what she could do. Then, she laced up the amber-orange bodice ribbon, fluffed the soft white frill around it, and smoothed out the deep yellow sleeves that ended in longer white frills at her elbows. Her white petticoats were uncomfortable as always underneath the layered yellow and orange skirts, but worst of all, she had to wear "proper shoes" with the attire: orange high heels with ribbons wrapped up her white stockings—as if anyone would see that.

One of her staff was sent in to help her dress and fix her hair, but she made no conversation with her. As the servant put gold and pearl accents in her now-partly-braided hair, Daisy merely frowned and looked at herself, all dressed up. This was not her. She felt forced, stiff, formal. The girl-in-waiting finished the hairdo with a fluff at the top. "How is this, milady?" the meek servant asked.

"Fine," Daisy replied half-heartedly. "Just fine. I'm sure Sarsworth would approve."

The girl gave a very small smile, nodded, and left the room. Daisy merely gazed into the mirror at her tall, jeweled hair. "Just fine…" she repeated. Then she stood, sighed, and headed for the door into the hallway…

…where a hurrying servant smacked right into her, pushing her to the ground. "Oh, no! Princess! I'm so sorry! Terribly sorry! My deepest apologies!"

"It's fine. Whatever. Carry on." She got up without help and gestured for the servant to continue. So he continued his quick pace down the hallway, looking back once or twice at the miserable princess.

"Ah, awake and dressed, I see," Sarsworth came from the other side. "Good, good. Your speech is in two hours, and the first of your guests have arrived—"

"From the Mushroom Kingdom?" that was the first good news she had heard all morning.

"Yes, Princess, but—"

She hurried past him, toward the entryway of the castle.

"Princess! Your speech! Have you practiced?"

"I'll be fine!"

"But Princess!"

But Daisy had far out-sped the old chancellor. She slid down the rail of the foyer stairs and made it to the large wooden doors as they were being opened by the guards outside. She saw Peach's coach. Her best friend was at the top of the outside stairs, being escorted by Mario. Toadsworth and Luigi stood behind them.

Daisy grinned and ran to her friend, not minding that Mario was torn from her arm as she embraced her. "Daisy!" Peach gasped. "Goodness, look at you! You look gorgeous!"

Daisy pouted. "Not really my style, if you ask me, but I suppose sacrifices must be made."

Peach herself was in typical pink, with a bit of red trim to match Mario's attire. He was in a striking red suit with white ruffles that made him look much higher-class than he was. He even had a black top-hat. Luigi had predicted her yellow and had a green suit with yellow trim and a yellow bow tie. He too sported a top hat. He looked a little nervous but was also dressed with the confidence of class.

"You all look fancy, too," Daisy returned the compliment sincerely.

"Well, this is a big occasion, right?" Peach said. "A big address to your people… a ball to follow… Oh, Daisy, you're doing so well here! You really are!"

Daisy smiled sheepishly. Peach always complimented her princess-dom, but—truth be told—she never thought she deserved it. She wasn't much of a princess and was more selfish than her friend was when it came to her people. Peach made her better sometimes.

Speaking of people who made her better… Luigi removed his hat and bowed. She lent him her hand and he kissed it. "You… You do look stunning, Daisy," he said quaveringly.

For the first time today, she felt like it was true… and she cared. "Thank you, Luigi," she whispered.

"Well, we don't want to keep you," Peach noted.

"From what?"

"Everything, dear! You doubtless have much to set up!"

"Oh… well… I guess so…"

"Princess!" Sarsworth had finally caught up. "Where is your speech?"

Daisy rolled her eyes. "Yep… lots to do." She sighed but headed back towards Sarsworth and his panic. "Make yourselves at home," she called over her shoulder. And she led the old man back through the halls to the library, where Daisy had been keeping her speech for the last few days, untouched since she finished writing it January 31st.

"Princess, it is important you make a good impression on your people. A memorized speech lets them know you've taken the time to really consider your address to them…" Daisy hadn't. She'd written the speech in one day, two days before it would be spoken. "They have been looking forward to hearing your thoughts on the future of the kingdom…" Daisy doubted the people even cared what she had to say about their daily lives. "…and I'm sure they wonder about a certain _someone_ from the neighboring kingdom…" Ah, that's what her people were into: drama and tabloids.

…and those were all things that she had not mentioned in her speech. "Right… yeah… whatever…"

"Princess…" the old man looked absolutely exasperated.

"I've got it, Sarsworth. It's fine. I still have a couple hours."

"An hour and a half!" Daisy was pretty sure she saw sweat droplets on his forehead. She never understood why he worried so much. He wasn't the king. He wasn't in charge.

"Whatever." She picked up the scroll and unraveled it. It wasn't long. She scanned over it with her eyes as Sarsworth looked on nervously. What was _he_ so nervous about? He wasn't the one speaking.

 _People of Sarasaland, I, as your princess, address you this day not in formality, but in welcome to my home for this occasion! So welcome to my castle! Please enjoy yourselves and mingle with the guests from our ally, the Mushroom Kingdom. Shake off the chill of the weather outside with a dance and warm yourself with the hot food! You are even welcome to ask for a short audience with me or my advisor, Sarsworth. Thank you all for coming. Let the festivities begin!_

"Well… can I hear it?" Sarsworth asked.

Daisy groaned. "Sarsworth, you'll hear it in an hour."

"Please, Princess."

"Fine." She began to read it, monotone and annoyed.

"Princess… Is that how you are going to read to your people?"

Daisy gave him a glaring look, then restarted.

After the first sentence, Sarsworth actually smiled and nodded. "Ah, a good start indeed! Keep going."

"Are you grading me on this?"

"Just go on, Princess!"

She continued. Sarsworth watched eagerly.

But when she ended, he frowned. "That's it?"

"Yes."

"It's a good… _start_ , Princess, but…"

At that moment, the clock struck 11:00.

He sighed. "Well, I suppose that's as good as it will be, then. Come now, the guests will be arriving soon." And he left her, expecting her to follow him.

She did, the rolled up speech tucked under her arm. She made her way to the floor above the ballroom, where a balcony came over the room of gathering. She did not open the door yet, but waited.

"D-Daisy?" the timid voice she knew and loved spoke behind her. She turned with a smile at Luigi. "I just… wanted to wish you luck." He held his top hat at his chest, the very image of meekness.

She kissed him, causing him to blush wildly. "Thank you, Luigi," she whispered.

He grinned, returned his hat to his head, and hurried down to the ballroom.

She watched him go. She would seek him out in the crowd as she spoke. In one hour. Why was she hurried just to wait here? She put her paper down on a side table and walked back through the hallway. She had not eaten since being rushed awake, and she was not going to wait until after noon. She had plenty of time, so she went towards the dining hall for breakfast.

The cooks of the kitchens were bustling about, preparing the meal for after the speech. She beckoned to one of the servants that were setting the tables and situating the presentation of the room and told him, "I'd like something for breakfast, please."

He nodded, "Right away, Princess!" and scurried through the kitchen doors. Within five minutes, he was rushing back out with a tray of fruit, a pastry, and a glass of milk. Daisy let him place it on the corner of the table and sat down to eat. He stood to the side, watching her, waiting for her to finish so that he could clean up after her as quickly as possible.

She tried not to let it bother her as she took her time eating. When she was finished, she stood, thanked the servant, and headed back through the hall to the balcony. She didn't have much time left before her speech. She picked it up and looked it over again. Maybe she should have studied it while she ate, she considered. But then she shook the thought from her mind. She had plenty of time now to run through it a few times so she didn't over-rely on the paper in front of her.

Fifteen minutes later, the clock began to chime. "Here goes…" she said to herself, and she opened the doors, entering the ballroom high above her citizens. She took a breath and found Luigi amidst the crowd, smiling up at her. With a smile back to him, she began: "People of Sarasaland…"

The people listened with such full attention, she almost felt sorry that it was so short. But when she finished, they applauded her anyway. The orchestra started playing. The party had begun. She had done her duty. She tossed her speech on the table again as she headed for the stairs down to join her Mushroom Kingdom guests.

But she didn't quite get to them.

"Princess! Oy! Princess!" a group of women came to her. The one in front smiled broadly. "Oh, Princess! What an honor! May I say that you are looking lovely today, your majesty! So graceful and elegant!"

"Oh, yes," another woman said. "I can't help but envy your beauty!"

"All compliments aside, your highness," said the third woman, "We wanted to know what was in store for this kingdom as far as the threats to the Mushroom Kingdom?"

"Threats?" Daisy asked impatiently. "You mean the koopa mage? The resident heroes are taking care of her. Now if you don't mind—"

"Yes, but is Sarasaland going to send allies?"

"My husband is a soldier here, Princess," the first woman explained. "Should I expect him to be shipped abroad?"

"Um…"

"What about the Mushroom Kingdom's protection over us?" the second woman asked. "Will they be able to help us with our safety while they are at war with the koopas?"

These were some heavy questions. And Daisy was certainly unprepared to answer them. "Uh… The kingdoms remain in alliance. And… And I'm sure that help will come when we really need it. And we will give them aid as much as we can if needed… Like I said, the heroes are taking care of things mostly. Now, excuse me." And she got away from them.

So much for gossip. Those women were afraid for the state of Sarasaland. It was surprising to Daisy that they had so much knowledge about the affairs of the neighboring kingdom. Kammy Koopa had certainly made her mark on the world.

Luigi was yards away, but she had an open path to him. He was laughing with Mario and Peach. Daisy smiled at the scene. Then, an older man blocked her view. "Pardon me, Princess… an audience please?"

"Uh… yeah—yes, okay," she looked at him.

"I just wanted to thank you for all you've done for the kingdom, your highness… Such great things are coming for us, I'm sure. The farms have been producing one and a quarter times their annual yield these past couple years thanks to royal attention and care." He smiled at her, eyes squinting and wrinkles tightening. "Thank you, my dear."

"Um… You're welcome…" She watched as he hobbled off. "I don't think the castle really has anything to do with the farmlands, but okay…" she mumbled to herself.

Before she could start moving again, she was stopped by a larger group of people. "Your majesty," a young man in the front addressed her, looking nervous. "If we may request an audience?"

Daisy did her best not to groan. If she had any say, she would not have invited them to an audience in her speech. But that was the one thing Sarsworth said had to be in there. "The people want to talk with you, Princess Daisy," he had said. "They like to see the one in charge and express their concerns and requests!"

"Yes?" Daisy asked them. "What do you need?"

"Well…" the man shuffled his feet. A man behind him nudged him. "Right, um… The merchants of the Mushroom Kingdom have been the cause of some fierce competition among the shops in Sarasaland." He took a breath. "People are traveling more and more to the neighboring kingdom, leaving the shops here without many customers. We're… uh… We're struggling to make ends meet, ma'am."

Daisy looked at all the people in the bunch. They looked eager, some frustrated, others just down. "I… um…" she didn't know what to say.

"Is there anything you can do for us?" a woman asked her.

"Sponsor the shops!" someone said from the back.

"Lower the taxes!" another voice suggested.

Too heavy. Way too heavy. Daisy was starting to wish they _would_ ask about her Mushroom Kingdom boyfriend.

"Um… I'll see what I can do," she told them, not insincerely.

So close to her friends… but so far away. Because more and more people felt the need to greet her, thank her, ask her questions, bend her ear toward one thing or another… She could barely keep track of the ones she actually cared about helping somehow.

They moved from the ballroom to the dining room. She barely got a bite in edgewise. She had no opportunity to meet up with even Peach, who also had some admirers coming to her in the dining hall. But not as many as Daisy. She was convinced that the entire kingdom approached her at one point or another that afternoon, and by 7:00, she hadn't even danced with Luigi.

She found him on the dance floor a few minutes after supper had ended, when the guests were too full and happy to bother her for a time. Or at least, she hoped so. She all but ran to him across the ballroom. "Luigi!"

Luigi turned just in time. He caught her without issue, even though her momentum was so powerful with her excitement to finally be free from her duties. "Got time for one dance?" he asked her.

"Only one?"

"I don't want to take you away from your people."

"Please take me away from them! I can hardly stand it."

Luigi laughed lightly, and soon they were moving gracefully around the ballroom. The guests were giving them plenty of room. Most of them weren't dancing. They were only watching. And when Luigi and Daisy finished, they applauded them.

And to Daisy's horror, swarms approached them:

"When will we hear from your suitor?"

"Is he going to give a speech?"

"Have you given him a tour of the kingdom yet?"

"Will your suitor visit more often?"

Luigi was rigid with fear. He certainly wasn't used to the attention, and he wasn't ready for the pressure of it.

"Back up, everyone… Don't worry… You'll hear from him soon…" She gave a sidelong glance at Luigi. He looked so pale she was afraid he'd get sick. "Back up…" she tried again as Luigi put a hand under his collar. He stepped backwards, trying to get away but failing miserably. "Back off!" Daisy said more loudly.

Her people stared. Luigi ran.

"Sorry…" Daisy mumbled, mortified. "He… He wasn't ready for that attention. Please. You'll hear from him… eventually… Just… not today. Okay?"

"Princess Daisy, how deep into this relationship are you?"

"Princess, is he expected to be co-ruler with you?"

"When will that happen?"

"Will we get any say on the matter?"

"Will he campaign to us for the sake of a governing position?"

"Would he leave the Mushroom Kingdom or will the two of you visit there more often than you already do?"

At that question, another woman elbowed the woman who asked that. "Don't say that!"

"Ouch. But it's a legitimate question. She spends lots of time in the Mushroom Kingdom… If her husband is from there, Sarasaland may be neglected!"

"Hush!"

Daisy stared at her questioners. Where was Sarsworth? She looked around for him and saw him talking to some gentlemen at the side of the room.

"Excuse me," Daisy said, sliding out of the uncomfortable crowd. After those last questions, they let her go.

It was half-past seven. Sarsworth had just finished talking to the men and turned to Daisy. "Ah, Princess! I was just talking about how you'd—"

"Please, Sarsworth, don't start…" Daisy groaned, holding her head. "These people are asking so many questions… Wanting so much… I can't think of all this right now… I'm getting such a headache." She and Sarsworth moved out of the ballroom, in an empty hall.

"Princess, you have invited them to speak with us in such matters."

"Yeah, but I didn't expect so MANY matters!"

Sarsworth hesitated, then said softly, "Perhaps if your speech had covered more than—"

Daisy glared at him. "What was that?!"

Sarsworth swallowed. "Princess, I merely _suggest_ that—"

"Yeah, you 'suggest' a lot of things! Do this! Do that! Say this! Hurry here! Hurry there! Say that! Hold your head up! Clean up your speech! Take care of this matter or that! I'm tired of you always telling me what to do!"

"Princess—" Sarsworth stuttered.

But Daisy left the chancellor and ran through the halls. She caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror. She was red with remnant anger. Her hair was still pristine, not even a strand had fallen from the 'do. But her dress was wrinkled and weathered with her effort to run. Her feet hurt in the accursed shoes she was forced to wear. She went to her bedroom, kicking them off and letting her toes free from the stockings as well. Soon enough, she was at her vanity, clawing at her hair, trying to loosen the style's hold on it. She growled and screamed, dropping her head into her hands.

A wave of exhaustion flooded her. She put her head down in her arms and closed her eyes. _Thank the Overthere that this day is over…_


	2. Take Two

Take Two

February 2nd came with its usual chill in the air. The sand-brown stones of the castle were covered with a few small but intricate webs of frost. And the roof's shingles were more white than brown. Within the castle, the staff was abuzz with various chores in preparation of the afternoon's events. And at the highest room, a relentless, pounding knock came—once, twice, thrice… and more. "Princess! Princess Daisy, you must wake at once!"

Daisy groaned. Not again. "What?!" she moaned, covering her head with her pillow. Wait—her pillow? Daisy opened her eyes. She was in bed. Her hair was down. Did someone help her get back in bed and get her hair out of that stupid hairdo?

"Your speech is at noon. Please tell me you've practiced!"

What?

"Princess?"

She rolled herself out of bed and looked at the clock. It was nearing 8:30. She stared for a few minutes at the dress Sarsworth had laid out for her… the one she had just worn… hadn't she? Was it a dream? The ribbons and frills were just as she had… dreamed?

One of her staff was sent in to help her dress and fix her hair. It was the same girl-in-waiting as before, the same gold and pearl accents. Daisy frowned. "How is this, milady?" the girl asked, just like Daisy remembered.

"Fine," Daisy responded in the same way. "Just fine. I'm sure Sarsworth would approve." After all, he approved last time.

The girl gave a very small smile, nodded, and left the room. Daisy merely gazed into the mirror at her tall, jeweled hair, at her whole attire. Then she headed for the door into the hallway…

…where a hurrying servant smacked right into her, pushing her to the ground. "Oh, no! Princess! I'm so sorry! Terribly sorry! My deepest apologies!"

Daisy suddenly remembered this same thing happening before. "Um… it's okay…" She was so dumbfounded, the servant reached out his hand.

"Please, milady, let me help you."

"Huh? Oh. I'm fine." She got up without help and gestured for the servant to continue. "Carry on."

He hesitated, but continued his quick pace down the hall, looking back once or twice. Just like last time…

"Ah, awake and dressed, I see," Sarsworth came from the other side. "Good, good. Your speech is in two hours, and the first of your guests have arrived!"

Daisy stared at him blankly. "Sarsworth… Has this… happened before?"

"What, Princess?"

"This…"

"You have not hosted a party here before. You've always been the guest to the Mushroom Kingdom. And now they are your guests. How exciting, yes?"

Daisy looked toward the direction of the foyer. She started off that way.

"Princess, your speech!"

"I've practiced it, yes." Technically… Speaking last time was practice, right?

She hurried down the foyer stairs and saw her best friend being escorted by Mario. Toadsworth and Luigi were behind them. They were coming in from outside, shaking off the cold.

Daisy hurried to greet them. She hugged her friend, not minding that Mario was torn from her arm again. "Daisy!" Peach gasped. "Goodness, look at you! You look gorgeous!"

Peach herself was in typical pink, with a bit of red trim to match Mario's attire. He was in a striking red suit with white ruffles that made him look much higher-class than he was. He even had a black top-hat. Luigi had predicted her yellow and had a green suit with yellow trim and a yellow bow tie. He too sported a top hat. He looked a little nervous but was also dressed with the confidence of class. It was just like she remembered.

"You all look fancy, too," Daisy repeated.

"Well, this is a big occasion, right?" Peach said. "A big address to your people… a ball to follow… Oh, Daisy, you're doing so well here! You really are!"

Daisy smiled sheepishly again. If last time was any sign, she wasn't doing well at all. But how could she fix that?

Luigi removed his hat and bowed. She lent him her hand and he kissed it. "You… You do look stunning, Daisy," he said quaveringly.

Just like last time, Luigi was able to lift her spirits and confidence. "Thank you, Luigi," she whispered.

"Well, we don't want to keep you," Peach noted.

"Princess!" Sarsworth caught up. "May I hear your speech?"

Daisy rolled her eyes. "Sure, Sarsworth. Sorry guys, duty calls, apparently." She sighed but headed back towards Sarsworth and his panic. "Make yourselves at home," she called over her shoulder. And she led the old man back through the halls to the library, where Daisy was sure her speech would be, untouched since she finished writing it January 31st.

"Princess, it is important you make a good impression on your people. A memorized speech lets them know you've taken the time to really consider your address to them…" Daisy doubted memorizing her speech would make a difference for the reactions she got last time. "They have been looking forward to hearing your thoughts on the future of the kingdom…" They were certainly demanding regarding her thoughts on really heavy subjects, but what could she say about that stuff? "…and I'm sure they wonder about a certain _someone_ from the neighboring kingdom…" Yeah, and they'd bombard him if ever given the chance. Daisy's heart dropped. Would she even be able to dance with him this time?

"Princess…" the old man looked absolutely exasperated.

"Hm? Oh… yeah… whatever… I got it."

The sweat droplets returned to his brow. Daisy was annoyed at his concern again. He had to chill out a bit. He looked like he was about to be the one standing in front of all the people and giving this speech. Maybe he just should be at this point. Why not? He had the nervousness for it.

"Well… can I hear it?" Sarsworth asked.

Of course. "Fine." She began to read it, monotone and annoyed.

"Princess… Is that how you are going to read to your people?"

Daisy gave him a glaring look, then restarted.

" _People of Sarasaland, I, as your princess, address you this day not in formality, but in welcome to my home for this occasion!_ "

Sarsworth smiled and nodded. "Ah, a good start indeed! Keep going."

" _So welcome to my castle! Please enjoy yourselves and mingle with the guests from our ally, the Mushroom Kingdom. Shake off the chill of the weather outside with a dance and warm yourself with the hot food! You are even welcome to ask for a short audience with me or my advisor, Sarsworth. Thank you all for coming. Let the festivities begin!_ "

Sarsworth frowned. "That's it?"

"Yes."

"It's a good… _start_ , Princess, but…"

At that moment, the clock struck 11:00.

He sighed. "Well, I suppose that's as good as it will be, then. Come now, the guests will be arriving soon." He turned without another scolding, without another argument, just as she remembered he did the first time. He looked tired, which is something Daisy hadn't noticed the first go around. But what should she care? He was the one who chose to wake up at the crack of dawn just to pound on her door two hours later.

She followed, the rolled up speech tucked under her arm. She made her way to the floor above the ballroom, where the balcony came over the room of gathering. She did not open the door yet, but waited.

"D-Daisy?"

She turned with a smile at Luigi.

"I just… wanted to wish you luck." He held his hat at his chest, the very image of meekness, just like last time.

She kissed him, causing him to blush wildly again. "Thank you, Luigi," she whispered.

He grinned, returned his hat to his head, and hurried down to the ballroom.

She watched him go. She would seek him out in the crowd as she spoke, just like last time. He made her feel better about all of this.

Her stomach growled. Right… she hadn't eaten. She put her paper down on the side table and walked back through the hallway. The cooks of the kitchens were bustling about, preparing the meal for after the speech. She beckoned to the same servant that was setting the tables and situating the presentation of the room and told him, "I'd like something for breakfast, please."

He nodded, "Right away, Princess!" and scurried through the kitchen doors. Within five minutes, he was rushing back out with a tray of fruit, a pastry, and a glass of milk. Daisy let him place it on the corner of the table and sat down to eat. He stood to the side, watching her, waiting for her to finish so that he could clean up after her as quickly as possible.

It annoyed her to no end, so she took her time eating even longer than last time. By the time she was finished, she had only five minutes until her speech. She thanked the servant and hurried back to the balcony. The clock began to chime just as she grabbed her speech and unrolled it.

"Here goes…" she said to herself, and she opened the doors, entering the ballroom high above her citizens. She took a breath and found Luigi amidst the crowd, smiling up at her. With a smile back to him, she began: "People of Sarasaland…"

The people listened with full attention, and when she finished, they applauded her. The orchestra started playing, cuing the party to begin. She stood and watched as couples came together to dance. Mario and Peach were already hand in hand. If last time, whether dream or reality, was any indication, she would not get to dance herself. Perhaps she could wait and get Sarsworth to take the brunt of the questions she was bombarded with. She took her time going downstairs.

And she managed to come right in the middle of the group of women from before. "Oh, Princess! What an honor! May I say that you are looking lovely today, your majesty—"

"Yeah, yeah," Daisy tried to keep her cool. "You're worried about the koopa mage, right? Don't worry. The resident heroes of the Mushroom Kingdom are taking care of her, and we will send aid as necessary."

The women were shocked at the correct prediction of their concern, then the first woman spoke up again: "My husband might be shipped abroad, then?"

"It's a possibility, sure."

"What about the Mushroom Kingdom's aid to us?" another woman asked. "While they're busy with the koopas, can we still expect protection?"

Daisy had forgotten about that question. "Um… Yes. Now, please—"

An older man came up to her, bowing and taking her hand. "Dear Princess…"

She had gotten herself stuck in a line of citizens wanting an audience with her.

"I just wanted to thank you for all you've done for the kingdom, your highness… Such great things are coming for us, I'm sure. The farms have been producing one and a quarter times their annual yield these past couple years thanks to royal attention and care." He smiled at her, eyes squinting and wrinkles tightening. "Thank you, my dear."

"Um… right… You're welcome…" She was still confused about his thanks. What did the castle have to do with the farmlands? _She_ certainly didn't do anything.

Next in line was that large group of merchants. Her heart clenched in fear. She didn't have an answer ready for these people. In her anxiety, she didn't notice the spokesman had already started talking.

"Uh… Princess?"

"Hm?" Daisy snapped out of her dread. "Oh… um… yes. Your shops, right?"

"Yes. The merchants of the Mushroom Kingdom are taking many customers from us… and… well… Is there anything you can do?"

"Sponsor the shops!" someone said from the back.

"Lower the taxes!" another voice suggested.

Daisy put up her hands. "I'll figure something out for you folks. Promise."

"Thank you, Princess!"

"Yes, thank you!"

"Much appreciated, your highness!"

They filed away, expressing their gratitude, and the others in line continued along, so she heard all the same complaints, thanks, and questions as last time. Clearly taking her time getting to the ballroom did not help the onslaught of citizens. And once again, she barely got to eat. By the time the line had depleted, dinner was almost over.

She wanted to scarf down her food, but Sarsworth gave her a look, his usual 'act like a princess' look. She was forced to take her time.

She stared at the clock as she ate. She shouldn't rush anyway. If she danced with Luigi, all those people would come up to them again. He couldn't take it. It wasn't fair for him to be swarmed like that. It wasn't fair for _her_ to be swarmed like she was. Actually, she'd rather sit in this hall and eat, away from the citizens, away from her duties.

Of course, Sarsworth wouldn't have it. "Princess, you need to be present for your people."

"I'm tired of answering all their questions, Sarsworth."

"You have invited them to speak with us in such matters."

"Yeah, but I didn't expect so MANY matters."

Sarsworth hesitated.

Daisy remembered that look, so before he could say something, she snapped: "And don't go into your 'Your speech wasn't long enough and it should've been ten hours long!'"

Sarsworth smiled faintly. "Not ten hours, Princess, but at least covering more than just a welcome."

"Whatever."

Sarsworth leaned more heavily on his cane. "Princess… You cannot just shrug off everything I say with 'whatever'. You need to _care_ about this kingdom—"

"You think I don't care about my own kingdom?"

"That's… not what I meant… not entirely."

"Oh, this'll be good…" Daisy glared at him. "What, then, did you mean?"

Sarsworth ran his hand across his brow. "Princess… please…"

"I'm waiting."

Sarsworth bowed his head. "Your people wish to speak with you, Princess. Please come out when you have finished eating." And he left the room.

She continued to take her time. And then she slipped out a different doorway and made her way back to her bedroom. She tore her dress from her and pulled off the shoes and stockings. She yanked at her hair, just as she did last time. And just like last time, she had no luck. With a growl she slammed face-first into her pillow. _This time, it's over… for real._


	3. Repetition

Repetition

February 2nd came with its usual chill in the air. The sand-brown stones of the castle were covered with a few small but intricate webs of frost. And the roof's shingles were more white than brown. Within the castle, the staff was abuzz with various chores in preparation of the afternoon's events. And at the highest room, a relentless, pounding knock came—once, twice, thrice… and more. "Princess! Princess Daisy, you must wake at once!"

Daisy's eyes shot open. No… this couldn't be happening…

"Your speech is at noon. Please tell me you've practiced!"

She felt her hair. Down and loose, not up in that stupid hairdo. "This can't be happening…" She groaned in frustration.

"I know you're tired, Princess, but you must awaken!"

She saw the dress, brand new, laid out. She saw the clock: 8:30 again. This couldn't be happening, she repeated the sentiment over and over. But sure enough, it was February 2nd, and there was no avoiding the worst day of her life.

Soon enough, the girl-in-waiting had her dressed and her hair done. And when she headed out for the hallway…

… a hurrying servant smacked right into her, pushing her to the ground. "Oh, no! Princess! I'm so sorry! Terribly sorry! My deepest apologies!"

From her annoyed assurance that it was okay, to Sarsworth judging her speech, to the arrival of her friends, to the breakfast pastry before the ball. And then everything that came after—the speech, the questions, not dancing in her own ball. Only the eye contact she made with Luigi before all of it lifted her spirits, but they dropped again when the repetition set in.

She was asked the same questions as she was the last two times. She tried hiding, but Sarsworth found her. "Princess—"

"Yeah, yeah, I know. I told them they could talk to us. But this is getting ridiculous! I've already done this twice!"

Sarsworth raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"

"Nevermind. Forget it."

"Then let's go."

Daisy didn't move.

"Princess…"

Another day, another fight with her chancellor. Another angry slam into her bed that night.

.

And another February 2nd waiting the next morning.

Daisy groaned as the knocks came at her door. "NOT AGAIN!"

She decided to feign illness this time. Anything to keep out of that ballroom, anything to avoid giving the speech for the fourth time. Her girl-in-waiting came in to help nurse her back to health. "Chancellor Sarsworth will be in a tight spot without you, Princess. I do hope you recover before your party."

"He can take care of things just fine. He may as well. He tells me how to do everything anyway."

The servant girl shrugged. "I suppose."

Daisy actually fell back asleep. When she woke up, she saw Luigi staring down at her, dressed in his formal attire. She sat up quickly. "Luigi!"

"I-I'm sorry, Daisy… Sarsworth said I could come in—"

"No! I mean, yes, of course!" She hadn't considered it, but of COURSE Luigi would come to check on her upon hearing that she was sick. She couldn't lie to _him_.

"Are you… feeling better?"

Daisy hoped that she wasn't turning red. "Um… yeah… I'm good…"

"Splendid!" Sarsworth was at the door. "You can still give your speech! We can quickly get you ready. Thank the Overthere!"

Luigi smiled and stood. "I'll get out of your way."

Daisy wanted to scream.

Her speech was late, starting right before dinner was served. At least Luigi's eye contact in the crowd made her feel better, as it always did. After her speech at dinner, she was stuck answering questions well into the evening.

Sarsworth came beside her with a smile. "Ah, Princess… I'm glad you are feeling better."

"Yeah, otherwise you wouldn't be able to force me to give a speech and throw a party."

Sarsworth looked at her, startled. "Not at all, Princess. Your people need to hear from you. That's what this is all about."

Daisy made her hand into a mouth and opened and closed it. "I'm so tired of hearing 'your people' this and 'your people' that! They're just fine in their little world, and I'm fine in mine. I'm not a cruel ruler. I do stuff for them. I set things in place and listen when there's a problem. It's just rare that there's a problem! Isn't that a good thing?"

"Princess…" Sarsworth hesitated. "You don't deal as much with the populace as I do. Trust me. It is good what you did here today. It was good to give this speech and to welcome them here."

"Wow, Sarsworth. Way to pat yourself on the back. Great idea you had and all."

"But the people see it as your—"

Daisy didn't hear, instead interrupting by saying, "If you've got such GOOD ideas, Sarsworth, stop dragging me into fulfilling them!"

"But Princess, your people think—"

"Good night, Sarsworth!" She turned and stalked off. "No doubt we'll run through the same thing tomorrow…"

.

A pounding knock and, "Princess! Princess Daisy, you must wake at once!"

Daisy screamed in frustration. She had to break this ridiculous cycle.

She started doing things differently, starting with not knocking into the servant on her way out of the hall.

The next day, she tried keeping her boots on but was quickly chewed out by Sarsworth, making their argument earlier in the day, and causing her attitude during the party to be worse, if that was possible.

Next, she tried to mess up her hair. But it was like a trap—un-messable.

After that, she started biting back when her people came to her with questions. The response to the concern for the koopa mage became, "You know, you should ask Mario about that… After all, if HE fails, there's not stopping Kammy Koopa from coming here and destroying this kingdom." And then she laughed as Mario was bombarded with the women, pulling him from the Mushroom Princess. Peach looked at her friend quizzically, but Daisy merely shrugged.

The response to the merchants was that they'd better start selling better products if they were losing customers so easily. They were thoroughly insulted.

And all the thanks she got, she responded with a snarky 'you're welcome' response.

Each time, Daisy perfected the chaos. Each Februrary 2nd, she entertained herself by changing things up. Each day, the princess found a new way to ruin the day for her amusement.


	4. Next Time

Next Time

February 2nd came with its usual chill in the air. The sand-brown stones of the castle were covered with a few small but intricate webs of frost. And the roof's shingles were more white than brown. Within the castle, the staff was abuzz with various chores in preparation of the afternoon's events. And at the highest room, a relentless, pounding knock came—once, twice, thrice… and more. "Princess! Princess Daisy, you must wake at once!"

This time, Daisy was ready. She quickly switched out her hair spray for a more destructive liquid. She started a run in her stockings. She broke the heel of her fancy orange shoes. "Hm? Oh yes, Sarsworth. I'm awake."

"Your speech is at noon. Please tell me you've practiced!"

Practiced? No. After all, the scrap of paper she had on her vanity was brand new. She opened it, ran her eyes across it, and grinned. "Don't worry, Sarsworth. I think my speech will really make an impact."

Sarsworth paused. "Well… good, then. Can't wait to hear it."

"Oh…" Daisy whispered to herself. "I'm sure you could…"

Now, she had the perfect plan for how to ruin this dress. Meanwhile, the girl-in-waiting helped her into it and put up her hair. "Oh dear!" she looked at the stockings and shoes. "I'll let Sarsworth know that this has happened."

"Okay," Daisy said. And as the girl ran out of the room, she was the one who ran into the rushing servant.

"I'm sorry!" they both said to each other. Daisy couldn't help but laugh, causing each to blush with embarrassment.

Sarsworth came by. "Ah, awake and dressed, I see," he started.

The servant girl cut in. "Actually, Chancellor, not quite." She showed him the stockings and shoes.

"Oh dear… Ah… Very well… Just a moment… Perhaps we can… have them quickly fixed…"

"Yeah, go ahead and do that," Daisy shrugged, lifting her dress to reveal her boots. "I'll be fine."

Sarsworth looked down at her boots with concern. "Um… Princess…"

"Now if you don't mind. I believe my friends from the neighboring kingdom have arrived…" She hurried down the hall.

"Princess!" Sarsworth called.

But Daisy was far ahead. She slid down the rail of the foyer stairs and made it to the large wooden doors long before they were opened by the guards outside. There was Peach and Mario, Toadsworth and Luigi. Daisy embraced her best friend, knocking Mario straight off. "Oh, Peach! I'm so excited for today!"

"Really?" Peach asked in complete shock.

"Oh yeah. Just wait until you see the… festivities." Daisy grinned, then she went to embrace Luigi, kissing him on the cheek.

Luigi fumbled with his tie. "Daisy, y-you look… stunning."

"Yeah, just you guys wait!" she winked.

Her Mushroom Kingdom guests looked at each other with confused expressions.

"Gotta run!" Daisy headed back through the hall, headed straight for the kitchens.

Sarsworth stopped her first. "Princess! A moment, please."

Daisy tried to get around him, but he was persistent. "Fine," she said.

"Princess, it is important you make a good impression on your people. A memorized speech lets them know you've taken the time to really consider your address to them…" Oh, she had definitely considered well what she would say today. "They have been looking forward to hearing your thoughts on the future of the kingdom…" Oh, she'd give them a future to worry about alright. "…and I'm sure they wonder about a certain _someone_ from the neighboring kingdom…" That was one thing she would refuse to tell them anything about.

"Mm-hmm…" she said. "Noted. Now if you don't mind, I'm starving."

Sarsworth reluctantly let her pass.

Instead of asking the servant to get her breakfast, she wandered into the kitchen, being sure to run into as many cooks, bakers, and other chefs she could. Soon, her dress was scraped, stained, and stepped on so much that Sarsworth would never let her speak in front of her people like that. So naturally, she wouldn't let him see her until she went before them all.

After eating, she rushed through the halls to the door above the ballroom. She added some wrinkles and tears to her dress and finally pulled her hair apart. She laughed and sighed as she did so, a great relief. She looked at herself in the mirror and smiled. "It's time…"

She stepped out into the balcony. The crowd gasped. With a sly grin, she started her speech:

"People of Sarasaland, I am your princess, so what do you care about what I think? I let you carry on with your lives with little interference, and those moments that I do have something to do with you, that's Sarsworth's hand in my affairs. You don't care what I think, and I don't care what you think. All you care about is the man in the Mushroom Kingdom that I have been spending time with. Well guess what? You don't deserve to know about him. All you want is gossip. I'm not going to stand here and relate it. And if you want to know about the koopa mage in the Mushroom Kingdom, direct those questions to Mario. _He's_ the hero. If he fails, we're all doomed." An exaggerated smile, "Thanks for coming!"

The crowd was dead silent. No applause this time. Daisy turned on her heel and went back through the door. She giggled into her hands and jumped in a circle. That was fun! If she had another February 2nd, she'd happily do it again.

She heard Sarsworth's voice, high-pitched and panicked, coming from the ballroom. She stifled an all-out chuckle and headed for a good hiding place. She'd hide from Sarsworth and his scolding the rest of the night.

She did run into her girl-in-waiting. She was sitting on a windowsill with needle and thread, hurriedly mending those stockings. "What are you doing?" Daisy asked her.

She looked up. "I needed to—" She stared at Daisy's hair. "Oh, Princess! Oh no! I'm so sorry! Did your hair not hold up?"

Daisy touched her hair, having forgotten about how she ruined this girl's work. "Oh… um… guess not. No biggie."

"Oh no! I must have been out of sorts today! I am so sorry! Oh dear… Sarsworth will be upset with me."

"It's fine," Daisy stopped. She realized she didn't know this girl's name. "Um… what's your name again?"

"Aganine, milady. And I am truly sorry. I can help you fix it before you go back into the ballroom."

"No, really. It's fine." Daisy was shocked to see Aganine's eyes glimmer as if preparing tears. "Honestly, it is." She felt… bad. This servant girl took pride in her work and did it well. The only reason things went wrong was because Daisy tricked her and messed everything up.

"Okay…" the servant frowned deeply. "Again… very sorry, Princess."

Princess Daisy left her to her work, wondering if next time she would do the same thing to her hair. Maybe she'd spare it tomorrow, for Aganine's sake.

As she made her way carefully through the hallway, she saw Sarsworth talking with a plump older woman. She had a cloth bonnet on her head and wore a short apron. Sarsworth was nodding as she was ranting. "That dress was a work of art! A fine display of her natural style mixed with princessly charm! A perfect marriage of her casual attire and a formal occasion! And, what now? Ruined! Spit upon! It's… It's a terrible thing! I could faint!"

"Yes, yes, ma'am, I know…" Sarsworth replied.

"I worked the better part of the last three months on her attire tonight and it was ruined in less than three hours!"

"I know, ma'am… really, I'll talk to her—"

"Dreadful, just dreadful!"

Daisy had no idea that it would take a person so long to make a dress. As she snuck by the woman, careful not to catch Sarsworth's eye, she saw her almost purple with anger, and maybe a little bit of shame or guilt, like Aganine. Perhaps she'd leave the things servants had done for her alone next time.

Speaking of servants, she found her way to the dining hall, where the staff was running circles trying to fix things for the dinner being served. "How could you spill the stew?!" one cook was yelling at another.

"I lost balance when the princess came by… I must've tripped over her dress…"

"You blaming the princess?"

"I wouldn't dare."

"Nah, go ahead. I ran into her, too. Think I spilled some dressings on her skirts. Hope it didn't stain."

"You guys talking about the princess? Yeah, what was she doing in here? We may not have enough food for all the guests if we don't replace these dishes soon!"

Daisy slipped back out as quickly as she could. She tried to be angry at the fact that they were talking about her like that, but she DID go in there expressly to ruin their work and to destroy her dress. Perhaps she hadn't thought that through either.

"Daisy!"

She flinched.

Peach came stomping up to her. "Sarsworth has been looking everywhere for you! What has gotten into you?"

"I was tired of their questions and wanted to tell them off," Daisy crossed her arms.

"They are your people, Daisy! They deserve your respect!"

"Why? The only reason they 'respect' me, if they're not just pretending, is because I'm their princess and they have to!"

"After this, they won't."

"Whatever, Peach," but Daisy was feeling uncomfortable now.

"Daisy… When you announced you'd be doing this, I was thrilled for you. I thought you were really growing as a ruler."

"It wasn't my idea!"

"It wasn't?"

"Of course not."

"But… I don't understand."

"It was all Sarsworth!"

"It was?"

"Of course it was! Do you really think—" Daisy froze. Was that what Sarsworth was trying to tell her before? Her people thought that _she_ had invited them. To her people, it wasn't the chancellor at all. It was a direct invitation from the princess herself. It WAS _her_ good idea.

"Well, that explains it then." Peach shook her head. "I swear, Daisy… You can be so selfish sometimes. I love you to death and you're my best friend, but…" she sighed. "You really messed up today, Daisy… And there may be no turning back from this."

Daisy frowned. What if Peach was right? What if… after all the loops… _this_ was her last chance? She shook her head. "You've always been stuffy and a bit self-righteous, Peach."

"Excuse me?"

"You heard me! Leave me alone!" She hurried down the hall.

"You won't last long as princess at this rate, Daisy!" she heard her friend call after her.

After an afternoon and evening spent hiding and listening to her servants, she ran into a mob of people surrounding Sarsworth, who was sweating and talking faster than Daisy had ever heard him. "Princess!" he whispered, or was his voice just that hoarse?

The people turned on her. Suddenly, a million questions were shouted at once. Sarsworth pushed through the crowd to stand in front of her. Guards from the hall came to make sure the ruckus remained nonviolent.

"Now, now!" Sarsworth shouted. His voice was definitely worn. "One question at a time, please!"

"Direct your questions as you have been, right to Sarsworth," Daisy interrupted. "This whole thing was his idea anyway. And if he cares so much about how things are run, he may as well take all of you on himself!"

"He's always the one to answer our questions!"

"We want to hear from the princess!"

"Princess…" Sarsworth lowered his voice. "I do much for your sake, including talking with these folks on a day-to-day basis… They want to hear from you."

"What?" Daisy asked.

"They want to hear—"

"When did you ever talk to them?"

Sarsworth looked down. "Often, Princess… so you don't have to. To make this position a bit easier on you, my dear."

"WE WANT TO HEAR FROM THE PRINCESS!"

"PRINCESS, ANSWER US!"

Daisy stared at Sarsworth. Did he mean… that when he told her to do something… he had already done half the work? Why? What did _he_ care?

"We demand an audience!"

The crowd was getting harsher. When the guards stepped in, Daisy and Sarsworth stepped back.

"What do _you_ care?" she growled at him.

"I care about _you_ , Princess… I know you have a hard time being the governing body of this kingdom, and—"

"Oh do I?!"

"Please, Princess, I didn't mean it like that… I merely meant that you don't like—"

"You control every little part of my ruling. You act like the king or something!"

"N-No, Princess… nothing like th—"

"I'm sick of you ruling over me!"

"Princess!" Sarsworth shouted. His voice trembled as he said, "I do not wish to rule you. Merely to help you rule. I deal with your citizens, I take care of little things so you don't have to. But your governing, that's you. Your people need to know that you care." He paused, coughed, then looked at her. After a few moments, he added, "… _do_ you care?"

She was angry at the question. How dare he ask that? But then she realized… Why wouldn't he? She had never expressed any care or concern for her people.

The guards interrupted her thoughts by telling them to move away as they escorted everyone out. The party would end early tonight. At least the kitchen staff didn't have to worry about feeding so many people.

When all was quiet again in the castle, Daisy walked through the shrubs of the courtyard. The old gardener was tending to some hedges a few dozen feet away. Twilight cast its spell across the leaves of every bush, making them shine like gold. As her eyes ran across each one, they fell upon Luigi, hat in hand. It was like he was trying to wring it, the surest sign of anxiety. "Luigi!" she gasped.

"Are you… okay?" he asked.

"I'm… fine." She sat at a bench and gestured for him to sit beside her.

He hesitated, then sat next to her. He was quiet for a long time.

"You have permission to speak freely, Luigi."

The man still hesitated. Then said, "You are a good ruler, Daisy."

She looked down at her hands.

"You have the ability to fix things that need fixed, and to _see_ what does. You are strong. You are brave. You are good to your people…" He trailed off. He was actually managing to twist his top hat now. "All qualities that…" he swallowed, "I didn't see today."

Daisy looked him over carefully.

He winced.

She sighed humbly. "You always know people better than we know ourselves. Mario… me… Heck, I bet you even know a thing or two about Peach." She noticed that he had snapped a wire in his hat, squeezing out the shape. She put her hand on it, and he looked at her. She took it from him and smoothed it out. Then, she placed it on his head and planted a kiss on his lips. "I love you, Luigi. If this is my last time, I want you to know that." He looked puzzled, but she left him in his wondering and headed for the castle. "And if it isn't, I suppose there are things I'd do differently…"


	5. Try, Try Again

Try, Try Again

February 2nd came with its usual chill in the air. The sand-brown stones of the castle were covered with a few small but intricate webs of frost. And the roof's shingles were more white than brown. Within the castle, the staff was abuzz with various chores in preparation of the afternoon's events. And at the highest room, a relentless, pounding knock came—once, twice, thrice… and more. "Princess! Princess Daisy, you must wake at once!"

Daisy's eyes snapped open. She sprung out of bed with a cheer.

"Your speech is at noon. Please tell me you've practiced!"

"Not yet, but I will," she said to herself. "As soon as I figure out what to say…"

The girl-in-waiting came in, ready to do her work. "Good morning, Aganine."

The servant girl's eyes grew. "Uh… good morning, Princess."

"Aganine, can I request something for my hair or do you have something Sarsworth told you to do?"

"Oh, I'll do whatever you wish, Princess!"

So Daisy put in a request. It was alright, but she would keep trying a new style each chance she got.

She did nothing different to her dress. She looked at it and realized that the amount of frills was very few, especially compared to those on the women at the ball. Perhaps the dressmaker knew what she was doing after all.

She went to leave her room but stopped, remembering to let the servant rush by. She smiled at the recklessness of his hurry, then greeted Sarsworth as he approached. "Good morning, Sarsworth."

"Ah, yes… Good morning, Princess." She had forgotten how tired he looked all these repetitive days. "Um… your speech, my dear, is in two hours. And the first of your guests have arrived… But I would like to see the speech."

"Right this way, Sarsworth."

She showed the speech to him before greeting her friends from the Mushroom Kingdom. He still gave his lecture before she read it:

"Princess, it is important you make a good impression on your people. A memorized speech lets them know you've taken the time to really consider your address to them…" Daisy intended to memorize it, no matter how many repeated days it took. "They have been looking forward to hearing your thoughts on the future of the kingdom…" Daisy also intended to get information from all their questions. She would welcome them this time. "…and I'm sure they wonder about a certain _someone_ from the neighboring kingdom…" Yes, what to say about Luigi? She still wasn't sure how she would figure that out.

"I agree, Sarsworth."

Sarsworth looked like he would faint with shock.

"Unfortunately, my speech is still very much a work in progress. Would you care to help?"

"Princess!" he spluttered. "You're giving it in two hours!"

Daisy nodded. "Don't worry. One of these times, it'll be perfect."

Sarsworth began to sweat.

She put a hand on his shoulder. "Sarsworth, please don't worry. Everything will be fine. Why don't you take a break?"

"There's too much to do—"

"The servants have things handled. And so do I. I can take care of some things. Rest, and I'll come get you fifteen minutes before my speech."

"Ah… Well… Um…" He sighed. "Very well, Princess."

She smiled as he walked down the hallway.

She decided that she should go to the kitchens to eat before greeting Peach and Luigi, and Mario and Toadsworth. The staff was easily able to accommodate her, as they hadn't started working for the meal this evening yet. She was able to take her time and even chatted with a few of the servants, learning more that she wrote down on her speech, alongside "koopa mage" and "merchants."

When she was finished eating, she left to greet the first arrivals. To her surprise, she saw Sarsworth with them. "Sarsworth! I thought you were resting!"

"Apologies, Princess… There's just too much to do."

"Daisy!" Peach gasped. "You look amazing!"

"Thanks, Peach. You all look fancy, too!" She hugged her friend after Mario stepped back to let them embrace. Then she went over to put her hand out for Luigi to kiss. "You look… beautiful…" he stammered.

Daisy blushed. "Thank you, Luigi."

"Best of luck with everything," Peach told her. The Mario Brothers nodded.

Luigi added: "Yes, I'm sure you will do a great job."

Daisy nodded. Maybe not this time, she thought, but she was hoping to get all the chances in the world until she got it right.

For now, she gave the speech as she wrote it:

"People of Sarasaland, I, as your princess, address you this day not in formality, but in welcome to my home for this occasion! So welcome to my castle! Please enjoy yourselves and mingle with the guests from our ally, the Mushroom Kingdom. Shake off the chill of the weather outside with a dance and warm yourself with the hot food! You are even welcome to ask for a short audience with me or my advisor, Sarsworth. Thank you all for coming. Let the festivities begin!"

As Sarsworth had said… it was a good _start_.

Now it was time to add to it.

"Princess! Oy! Princess!" the group of women came to her. The one in front smiled broadly. "Oh, Princess! What an honor! May I say that you are looking lovely today, your majesty! So graceful and elegant!"

"Oh, yes," another woman said. "I can't help but envy your beauty!"

"All compliments aside, your highness," said the third woman, "We wanted to know what was in store for this kingdom as far as the threats to the Mushroom Kingdom?"

Daisy nodded. "What concerns you?"

"I have a husband that's a soldier," the first woman explained. "Should I expect him to be shipped abroad to help with the threat of the koopa mage?"

Daisy wrote notes on her speech. "Hm… Depending on the need, we may have to send our forces to our allies. However, the Mushroom Kingdom heroes have proven very effective in the past."

"But this magikoopa is stronger than any force they've ever fought!" another woman exclaimed.

"True… she is…"

The first woman said, "It's alright if an answer doesn't come straight away. I just don't want my husband to be pulled with no notice.

"Oh that certainly won't happen!" Daisy assured her, writing more on her speech.

The older man approached her. "Pardon me, Princess… an audience please?"

"Oh, certainly."

"I just wanted to thank you for all you've done for the kingdom, your highness… Such great things are coming for us, I'm sure. The farms have been producing one and a quarter times their annual yield these past couple years thanks to royal attention and care." He smiled at her, eyes squinting and wrinkles tightening. "Thank you, my dear."

"Um… You're welcome…" She felt bad taking this credit. This was clearly one of the many things that Sarsworth did on her behalf.

"Your majesty," a young man in the front of a large crowd addressed her, looking nervous. "If we may request an audience?" The merchants.

"Yes, the great merchants of my kingdom. What can I do for you?" Daisy asked them.

"Well…" the man shuffled his feet. A man behind him nudged him. "Right, um… The merchants of the Mushroom Kingdom have been the cause of some fierce competition among the shops in Sarasaland." He took a breath. "People are traveling more and more to the neighboring kingdom, leaving the shops here without many customers. We're… uh… We're struggling to make ends meet, ma'am."

"I am sorry to hear that. What can I do to help?"

"Well… um…"

"Sponsor the shops!" someone said from the back.

"Okay," Daisy wrote this down, "If I give my word on your goods, the people would definitely listen. What else?"

"Lower the taxes?" a voice spoke up timidly.

"Hm… less tax on your customers would certainly make more buy from you."

And so it went on, she wrote notes on what was needed, filling her speech paper to the edges. She continued to take every thanks with a bit of guilt. And as she did all this, the hours came and went so quickly that the party was ending before she knew it.

There was only one group of questions she didn't have to answer. And she was glad, because she didn't know how to answer them. Those were the questions about her Mushroom Kingdom "suitor."

At the end of the night, she read over her notes, rewriting some, repeating them in her head. She had to remember what she wrote so she could write it again the next day.

.

And the next day, when February 2nd came again, she practiced again. She asked more citizens what they needed from her. And she tried to get Sarsworth to rest. This time, she sat with him in the dining hall, insisting he have some fruit and pastry. He was too nervous to eat, though, and refused it, not unkindly.

The next day, she had more questions, more insistence that Sarsworth take a break—this time, after sending him outside to walk amongst the gardens, she found him sweeping the pathway to the castle.

As the days passed, her speech continued to grow longer. Sarsworth continued to frustrate her with his lack of relaxation.

Day after day of repeating and practicing, and she had begun to memorize her longer speech. This time, she read it for Sarsworth each morning, fixing things as he found necessary. After all, he knew more about the people than she did.

Many days later, she had given up on convincing him to rest, but she thanked him every chance she got. That night, she felt as great about her speech as she ever did. She watched as Sarsworth spoke in low tones to some of the lingering servants. "You will get a good rest tonight, yes?" Daisy asked him. He smiled and assured her that, after today's great day, he would. Daisy whispered her speech to herself as she laid her head on her pillow.


	6. A Millionth Chance

A Millionth Chance

February 2nd came with its usual chill in the air. The sand-brown stones of the castle were covered with a few small but intricate webs of frost. And the roof's shingles were more white than brown. Within the castle, the staff was abuzz with various chores in preparation of the afternoon's events. And at the highest room, Daisy was rewriting her speech from memory.

When she was finished, she rang for breakfast. The servant brought up a fine breakfast that was sure to fill her up until the dinner that night. When she was finished with that, Aganine came in to dress her and fix her hair. Daisy had managed to find a fitting style for her, Aganine, and Sarsworth to approve. It was curled, half pulled up in the gold and pearl accents, half down and loose around her shoulders. It had the perfect blend of up and elegant and down and free. She thanked her girl-in-waiting and headed out, sure to wait for the hurrying servant.

"Ah, Princess! You've gotten the early start today, haven't you?" Sarsworth looked at her approvingly. Then he caught sight of her speech. "Is that your speech?"

"Yes. Fully memorized. Would you like to look it over while I greet our first guests? I think they've just arrived."

Sarsworth gaped at her. "Memorized! Ah, good! Good! Yes, let me see it. Go ahead and greet your friends."

Daisy smiled and hurried off to the foyer, riding the rail down the stairs to land right in front of Peach as she entered. "Oh! Daisy! You look wonderful!"

"Thanks, Peach." Daisy hugged her friend and nodded to Mario and Toadsworth. "You all look great, too!" She put a hand out to Luigi. "Especially you, Weeg."

Luigi scratched the back of his neck before planting a kiss on her hand. "N-Not as stunning as you, Daisy." He held his hat meekly, just as always.

"Well, we don't want to keep you," Peach noted.

"Yeah, I guess I should get going. See you at the party!"

By the time she got back to Sarsworth, it almost looked like he was crying tears of pride as he read her speech for perhaps the fifth time, for it still wasn't THAT long. "Princess… what an impression you will make on your people! And memorized! You've really taken the time to consider your address to them!" Daisy smiled. "They have been looking forward to hearing your thoughts on the future of the kingdom, and you have addressed the most important issues on their minds!" He gave the speech back to her. "There is just… one thing…"

Daisy frowned.

"A trifle, dear. What about talking about a certain… _someone_ from the neighboring kingdom?"

"Oh," Daisy waved him off. "That will be handled by Luigi himself, if he's up for it."

Sarsworth rubbed his chin. "Hm… A fine idea. Straight from the horse's mouth, so they say!"

He certainly did not look as tired as he had the past million times, but she still asked, "How are you doing, Sarsworth?"

"Hm? Me? Just fine, Princess. Just fine."

"Thank you for organizing this. Thanks for making me look so good in front of my citizens."

Sarsworth blushed. "Ah, Princess… You are a fine ruler."

"Just because you push me to be a fine ruler."

 _He_ waved _her_ off this time. "Ah, Princess, you flatter me." He smiled, a true, happy smile Daisy didn't see very often. "Come now, let's throw a ball!"

Soon enough, she was at the floor above the ballroom, where the balcony came over the room of gathering.

"D-Daisy?" the timid voice she knew and loved spoke behind her. She turned with a smile at Luigi. "I just… wanted to wish you luck." He held his top hat at his chest, just like before.

She kissed him, causing him to blush wildly. "Thank you, Luigi," she whispered.

He grinned, returned his hat to his head, and hurried down to the ballroom.

Fifteen minutes later, the clock began to chime. "Here goes…" she said to herself, and she opened the doors, entering the ballroom high above her citizens. She took a breath and found Luigi amidst the crowd, smiling up at her. She smiled back at him, then she turned to all of her people and spoke:

"People of Sarasaland, I, as your princess, address you this day not in formality, but in welcome to my home for this occasion! So welcome to my castle! Please enjoy yourselves and mingle with the guests from our ally, the Mushroom Kingdom. They have provided us great protection in the past and continue to, even with the threat of Kammy Koopa. The Mushroom Kingdom heroes, Mario and Luigi, will continue to defend their land as well as ours. However, if the need arises, we will send our own forces to aid them. This will not be a decision we make quickly, and we will begin with volunteers in hopes not to draw a draft.

"Our allies are also great producers of goods and services that many of you have crossed the borders to obtain. But I am here to tell you that the products you'll find here in Sarasaland are just as good, and perhaps cheaper to buy locally than so far away. Taxes will be cut soon on local products that gain my sponsorship. Please patronize the Sarasaland shops before going elsewhere, for the good of this kingdom's economy as well as the good of the merchants, your fellow Sarasaland citizens!

"I, too, will spend more time in this kingdom, visiting the Mushroom Kingdom less frequently. Sarasaland needs its princess, after all. And I will be a better ruler to you than I have been. That's a promise. Feel free to ask for a short audience with me or my advisor, Sarsworth, if you have any questions that remain unanswered.

"People of Sarasaland, you have been fine citizens! You have done much for this kingdom, much for me, much for each other. May this ball be a celebration of you! Thank you all for coming. Let the festivities begin!"

She found herself answering only trivial questions after this speech. And she directed all thanks straight to Sarsworth. "Please don't thank me. Sarsworth handled that affair," she would say.

And when there was a break in the audiences, she asked Luigi, "Would you like to talk to the citizens about… um… well, us?"

Luigi scratched under his hat. "Um… sure… Just, give me a moment?"

"Take as long as you'd like. When you're ready, we'll dance. No doubt that will draw the attention of everyone." She winked at him.

Within the hour, they finished a slow, elegant waltz, and just like that very first day, they were swarmed.

"When will we hear from your suitor?"

"Right now," Daisy stopped any further outbursts. "Luigi?"

Luigi cleared his throat and loosened his collar. He was at least ready this time, but he was still nervous. "Um… yes… well…" Daisy took his hand and squeezed it. She looked in his eyes with a smile of total trust and confidence. He smiled back. "The princess and I have been a couple for a long time. I've been here to visit many times, and I have as much loyalty to this kingdom as I do to the Mushroom Kingdom. I intend to one day come to be the resident hero here, much like my brother is the resident hero there. In that time, we may occasionally visit the Mushroom Kingdom, but we will not neglect this one. I will happily answer any questions you have about me, and I welcome your approach each time I visit Sarasaland."

If it was possible, Daisy loved him even more. She whispered as the people applauded him lightly, "Luigi, that was fantastic. Thank you!" She kissed him.

And they were able to dance a few more times before dinner was served.

Conversations continued over the table, with many questions directed at Luigi. Daisy thought he thrived in the attention. He may not have been used to it, but when he had it, he did well with it. She, in the meantime, kept an eye on her staff, making sure things went well, stopping problems before they had the chance to start. She made conversation with her servants as well as her people.

When dinner was over, Peach pulled her aside. "Daisy! This is amazing! You're doing such a great job!"

"Thanks, Peach. I learned from the best," she winked.

"Nonsense! This is all you!"

Daisy shook her head and gave her best friend a hug. "You've done wonders for me, trust me."

Amidst conversations and dances—including some with some Sarasaland gentlemen—Daisy had indeed earned the respect, attention, and adoration of her people in this one night. It may have taken a million tries, but she had finally realized what it meant to be a princess. Her last dance was with Sarsworth: "Come on, Sarsworth! Dance with me!"

"Oh, Princess… I couldn't!"

But this was something she wouldn't let him disobey her on. She dragged him to the dance floor while a faster tune was played and spun him around the floor. "You know, Sarsworth, it's customary for the man to lead."

Sarsworth caught his breath, "Ah, yes, well…"

Daisy laughed.

As the music slowed a bit, Sarsworth came into the dance more. He led Daisy around the floor. The citizens were dancing in their pairs as well. They may not have drawn the eyes Daisy and Luigi had, but Daisy was happy to dance with her chancellor.

At the end, he bowed elegantly, and Daisy returned with a curtsy. "Thank you for leading, Sarsworth," she said. "In the dance, and in the kingdom."

Sarsworth smiled lightly and rubbed his hands together. "Well, now… That is my job, Princess." He took her hands. "And I enjoy watching over you, my dear. Even if you may not enjoy my doing so."

She hugged him. "I'll try to be better," she promised.

As the guests left that night, she thanked each for coming on one side while Sarsworth did the same, shaking hands, on the other. The Mushroom Kingdom guests were the last to leave. "Hopefully all that talk of not visiting the Mushroom Kingdom doesn't mean we'll not see each other very often," Peach said, hugging her goodbye.

Daisy replied, "We'll see each other plenty. And YOU can visit every once in awhile, you know."

Peach laughed. "Yes. Perhaps we should make more of a habit of it. Or you need to throw more parties!" She winked.

Daisy laughed.

"Great party, Daisy. Seriously, do it again," Mario added.

"Thank you, Mario. It was… well, it was good to see you, I guess."

Mario rolled his eyes.

Luigi took her hands and they touched foreheads. "I'll come again soon… I think your people really like hearing from me."

Daisy smiled. "Take out the 'hearing from'."

Luigi furrowed his brow… "Really like… me… Oh." He grinned sheepishly. "Sure, maybe." They kissed.

She waved goodbye as the coach left her sight. She saw Sarsworth yawn beside her.

Daisy turned to him, "You better get to sleep right away."

He looked at her, "Hm? Oh… Yes. I will."

Daisy doubted that.

She, at least, made her way to her bedchamber. Things went so well today. Everything was perfect. She'd do the same thing tomorrow…

And again…

And again…

She sighed as she closed her eyes. She wished she didn't have repeat it again. Even though things were better this time, she was SO over this day.


	7. A Day Away

A Day Away

February 3rd came with its usual chill in the air. The sand-brown stones of the castle were covered with a few small but intricate webs of frost. And the roof's shingles were more white than brown. Within the castle, the staff was abuzz with various chores in the aftermath of yesterday's events. And at the highest room, Daisy was waking.

No pounding. She reached up and felt the hard hairspray residue and golden clasps in her hair. She stretched and sat up. She didn't dare to believe it, but there she was, half made-up from last night. It wasn't February 2nd anymore.

"Today is tomorrow…" she said. "TODAY IS TOMORROW!"

Her feet hit the floor and she left her bedroom, running down the halls. "I did it! I did it!"

She skidded to a halt in front of Sarsworth's door. She asked a servant nearby, "Is Sarsworth still asleep?"

"Oh goodness, no, Princess," the servant said, shaking his head.

Daisy rolled her eyes. Hopefully he got _some_ rest.

"I believe he's in the sitting room with a cup of tea."

"Relaxing?"

"As much as the old man _can_ relax, I'd imagine."

Daisy chuckled in agreement, then went downstairs for breakfast. She would wash up and spend this brand new day with Sarsworth, talking about the policies for defense, discussing everything they can do for the merchants, and gossiping like schoolgirls about her and Luigi. After all, questions had to be answered.

Tomorrow was here, and other days were bound to follow. The future of Sarasaland was in their hands… No wonder Sarsworth never rested. There was much to do, and she wouldn't always have a million times to get it right.


End file.
